Early Files 6-21-13

Thursday

Jun 20, 2013 at 2:00 AMJun 20, 2013 at 11:00 PM

John Watters

PATRIOT archi ve PHOTO JUNE 23, 1983 CHOWDER CLUB – Over 6,000 people sampled the clam chowder at WCOD’s third annual Cape Cod Chowder Festival Saturday at the Melody Tent. Here are some of them. Thirty-two Cape restaurants offered their best, with Mitchell’s Steak House’s chowder being judged best by popular vote. 1843

The subscriber offers to lease for a term of five years, on the most favorable terms, his HOUSE, situated in Provincetown, which has for some years been occupied by him as a PUBLIC HOUSE. It is centrally located large and commodious and well calculated for a Tavern. It will be leased with or without the Furniture. It is the only Public House in the town, and the most favorable stand in the County of Barnstable. A steamboat communication has this season been opened with Boston, and the travel will be greatly increased over that of any previous year—affording, as this place does, to the sportsman and angler, advantages superior to that of any other town in the State. There is a vegetable garden connected with this House, capable of producing all the vegetables for this House, through the year. If application is made immediately this whole Establishment will be leased as above stated on the very best terms—affording to any individual desirous of taking a House in this “city in the sand,” one of the most lucrative places in the country.

1863

For Sale – an Iron Fence, with Stone Posts and Fixtures, in complete order for a Burial Lot, situated in the Burying Ground adjoining the Methodist Church in this village. It will be sold low on immediate application to Freeman Hinckley or N. & D. Scudder, near the premises.

1893

It is probable that the new law regulating bicycle riding on the sidewalks of the town will be a dead letter until one or two examples are made. There were two quite serious accidents last week. A large majority of our local riders are very careful to comply with the law, but careless and thoughtless ones are bringing the wheelmen as a class into bad repute.

1903

Summer seems too late in arriving. The seasons appear to have undergone a change. Warm weather used to commence the latter part of May; but last year—and it now looks as though it is being repeated—we had no summer weather until July. Of late years, however, the warmth has extended late into the fall months, and sort of evened up things.

1913

“We had no sooner reached the moon and begun to look around than a strange creature (which we knew must be a moon man) came among the rocks and walked toward us. ‘Welcome, Americans!’ said he, ‘Can you tell me if the Red Sox won the World’s Series? And how did Roosevelt come out? And, by the way, if you are going to be here a time, let me show you around.’” Ridiculous, you say? Not necessarily; for it is no stranger than what happened to the Pilgrim Fathers when they landed at Plymouth and wintered in seven log shacks in the woods. As Gov. Bradford, a Pilgrim leader, calmly wrote it down: “But about ye 16 of March a certaine Indian came bouldly amongst them, and spoke to them in broken English. His name was Samaset; he tould them also of another Indian whos name was Squanto, a native of this place, who had been in England and could speake better English then him selfe.” Stranger still, he had been not only once to Europe, but twice. He had been to the Mediterranean and lived in Southern Spain. Squanto was the first Continental tourist from New England.

1923

On Sunday afternoon as a Plymouth motorcycle, driven by a man and carrying another man in its side car was going west just above the fair grounds it passed an automobile. In rounding the Bacon Farm curve the motorcycle overturned. The auto just passed was unable to avoid the machine and ran into it. The result of the two accidents was that the men of the motorcycle were so badly cut and bruised that first aid was rendered by Dr. H. B. Hart of Yarmouth and a district nurse. One man was taken to Cape Cod hospital while the other man was sent to Plymouth.

1933

Major Samuel T. Stewart of the Boy Scout committee is anxious to get into touch with someone who will donate life preservers to be installed by Boy Scouts at bathing beaches, saying that he will gladly call for it. He say that life preservers left over from the sale of some boat will do very nicely and cites conditions at the bathing beach at Long Pond Centerville where the children bathe near Stark’s ice house without a life preserver or life guard in case of an unforeseen accident. Who will oblige him?

1943

Whether Cape Cod will entertain as many tourists as in normal times remains to be seen, but the volume of pre-season inquiries received by the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce is said to be as usual in comparison with jollier times. In Chatham an even more optimistic report came from Gray Page, secretary, who said that letters of inquiry regarding summer accommodations and enjoyment have exceeded those of previous spring seasons.

1953

Search became State-wide today for two inmates of the Barnstable House of Correction who disappeared in woods behind the Cobb estate on Route 6 in Barnstable yesterday afternoon. The pair, Horace L. Bassett, 19, of Main Street, Dennis, and Charles Cardoza, 21, of East Falmouth, had been working with other inmates harvesting hay for the county farm. Bassett was sentenced last April to a six months term on a morals charge and Cardoza was confined in May for six months after being found guilty of a charge of larceny of an automobile.

1963

The college hordes are here. Two weeks earlier than expected. An army of sweat-shirted, canvas shod job seekers, 5000 strong, streaming into Hyannis aboard buses and bicycles, cars and scooters, and on foot. Some grab the first job opportunity that comes their way; others wait, sometimes a day sometimes a week, sometimes a month, sleeping in cars, on the beaches, or sandwiched in a $10 a week room with a gang of friends.

1973

A theft of some $4000 worth of band instruments stored at Barnstable High School was discovered Sunday afternoon. The thieves were choosy, picking out the best of the lot. Fortunately, an inventory had been made just prior to the closing of school. Police report no leads in the case.

1983

Outside dining patios in the town of Barnstable are taking on characteristics of dandelions. They’re springing up everywhere. This spring alone, town officials have approved outside dining permits at Sam Diego’s Mexican restaurant and Pufferbellies night club in Hyannis. The Roadhouse Restaurant on Main Street wants a patio out back, and Cooke’s seafood on Route 132 wants one out front. “I’ve never been too keen on it,” said Barnstable Health Director John Kelly. “Once you let one place have it, then you don’t have much ground to stop another place that might not be as aesthetically pleasing from having it. We like to have nice, healthy atmospheres to eat in.”

1993

Before Hyannis boxer Kippy Diggs can really worry about his July 10 opponent, he must take on a group of three that can put his hometown debut on the canvas with one roundhouse vote Monday morning. Diggs is set to fight on a seven-bout card at Jammers, a Hyannis nightclub. The hitch is that Jammers does not have its outdoor entertainment license and a meeting of the Barnstable Licensing Authority will determine whether they’ll get it. The Jammers’ proposal is bound to get special scrutiny because of incidents which took place on the premises earlier this year. The unbeaten Diggs, meanwhile, continues to prepare and hopes that he is given a shot to perform in front of his family and friends.. Hopefully, this won’t be his first setback.

2003

The two people that have kept the “Way” in Way’s Center news for the last 30 years are riding off into a Marstons Mills sunset. Robin and Tim Way have sold the family business at 424 Main St., Hyannis to Cape Cod businessman Paresh Patel. Patel, who lives in Bourne, owns convenience stores in Yarmouth and Pocasset, as well as off-Cape. For Tim, who handled the newspaper and magazines end of the business while Robin was focusing on the Hallmark products, no Way’s Center News means no more need to get up at 3:30 a.m. seven days a week. Of course, it also means no more sharing time with co-workers and sharing conversation with the customers, and those aspects will be missed.